We are our own worst enemies when it comes to focus. Upon an honest reflection – I think most people could say that about themselves. Throw on the business person hat or “hats” – I think the answer is unanimous. We all are guilty of distraction and lack of focus. Simple awareness to this will help you to turn a corner.

Some time ago I watched a business owner absolutely obsess about “testing” items on his website. He had heard a seminar from a proclaimed “expert” and the message was if you aren’t testing, you are failing. Not arguing the validity of that statement at all. The little things DO matter. The polish. The clean windows after you wash and wax the car. However, the presenter of this “test” message should have set the stage. There should have been mention that there are often prerequisites to being able to test. Unfortunately, the “expert” skipped that mention – and thus the business ran home and began “testing”. For weeks he continued to wear his team down as he became his own worst enemy. The blue was wrong, the font was wrong, the placement was wrong, the shape was wrong. Getting opinions. Asking networks. Making bold proclamations. Issue after issue after issue. Fast forward – he never did get to a conclusion he accepted as “right”. Everyone „fell short“. Reiterating – there will come a point where all things that can should be considered – the polish is awesome; but taking a step back – this owner was worried about adding a new knob to a cupboard that was falling off the wall, with a broken door, peeling finish, broken shelves, filled with cracked dishes. I think I made my point with that analogy. He did not take a step back and look at all the precursors to the button; the entire landscape, the bigger picture. His site was dated. He did not address basic best practices. It did not reflect his overall brand. Not to mention it was obvious that it was lacking general regular upkeep and maintenance. Call it basic blocking and tackling – but he was so dialed in (obsessed) on the “shiny object” that it consumed him.

Now this example is probably not a direct correlation to your daily grind – but I advocate that you need to look at each task that you take on and be able to quickly identify if it is a mover of the needle or something that is that distraction or insignificant in the grand scheme. Eventually all things become significant – look forward to it. But missing the big picture items first will paralyze and stall your efforts and momentum. Hope this simple prompt will help to open your eyes.

Oh, and another thing. Put the gadgets down. Try gadget free meetings. Gadget free zones. “Don’t text and meeting”

Jesse